Launch of When “free” isn’t at the European Parliament

eNACSO is pleased to announce that on June 15th, it has been released “When Free isn’t” a report which makes a strong case for improved policy, law and action to protect children against unfair and damaging business practices online.

The launch event has been hosted by MEPs Anna Maria Corazza Bildt and Caterina Chinnici, Co-Chairs of the Intergroup on Children’s Rights at European Parliament.

The overall aim of this Policy Paper is to stimulate and contribute to a discussion on the potential development of better measures to protect children and young people from a range of online business practices, as part of a wider project designed to make the Internet a better place for kids.

The paper highlights how different Internet business models work, and provides examples of commercial practices that, typically, have flown under the radar of policymakers – and in many cases still do.

All the examples and issues outlined in the paper were analyzed through the lens of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which is the pillar upon which eNACSO bases its work.

The collected information was triangulated and analyzed with the aim of assessing the impact of the main Internet business models and the resulting online marketing practices on the lives of children.

The analysis then looked at the extent to which these models and practices might comply with or break EU regulations or violate or uphold children’s rights as enshrined in the UNCRC.

The outcomes and feedback received from eNACSO’s child participation processes were integrated into the report along with the findings arisen from Focus Groups with young people providing children’s and adolescents’ perceptions of online advertising and advergames, privacy and data collection.

Lastly, the draft was sent to experts in the field of data protection, advertising to children, alcohol policies and a legal firm for feedback, which was a lengthy but invaluable process to reach the final stage and publication.

To download the final draft of the report click here

To download the launch event report click here

To download the executive summary click here

To download the press release click here